Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Just tried out some of my new vallejo paints with some liquitex flow aid.

Why wasn't I doing it this way all along....

Anyway, I was painting over white primer with flat green thinned to what I thought appropriate. When it dried it leaves some of the raised white edges exposed and some flat surfaces have patches of white showing through. Does that mean I am thinning too much, or does it just take more than one coat to do the job properly? I just don't know what to expect.

Also, whenever I use a wash it doesn't seem to pool in the corners like people say. I end up with large splotches on the flat faces of my mini (looking at YOU, shoulder pads...) and leaves what looks like dried up lake beds all over my mini. How do I fix this, or is this once again just a fact of life?

Thanks a bunch!

For the first question, requiring more than one coat of paint to completely cover is not unnatural. Although leaving raised edges uncovered may mean that you are thinning it a bit too much.
Secondly, it does sound like you are giving it far too heavy a wash. On a flat surface it needs to be done in much lighter passes.

Yes, dilute paints usually require more than one coat to get coverage. The naked edges is likely a case of over-thinning, as well as potentially overloading your brush. I find that if too much dilute paint goes on, it tends to "pull" itself into cracks and away from corners, whereas a more limited application stays put, even if it's too thin to cover particularly well.

As for the washes, they really don't like flat surfaces. In the best of cases, they simply leave somewhat uneven staining. If they dry irregularly, though, they can also leave "tide marks" - dark rings caused by pigment being pulled to the edges of pools that dry too quickly. You can avoid it in one of two ways: First, to limit your wash application to the immediate area (i.e. paint it in the cracks). Second, to remove excess from flats before it starts drying. You can either push the wash around with a brush dampened with water or you can use a dry brush or bit of paper towel to wick away the excess. Applying an overall wash too slowly can also have ill effects, as minor tide marks begin to appear at the edges on one side while you're applying at the other, resulting in thin, dark lines appearing in odd places.